Logitech diNovoEdge Keyboard

in short this piece of hardware wouldn't look out of place with an Apple logo!

for the home media user like myself this is perfect, no need to be balancing a mouse on your knee, and it looks the business sat in its charge stand next to my TV.

logitech are renowned for their innovations in hardware design, i myself own a number of their products and have never had any problems. although this is an incredible thin keyboard (approx 1cm) it is in no way flimsy, there is literally no bend in it at all, but still it isn't heavy.

the thing that impressed me the most was a battery life, on 90% charge the driver software is saying 54 days of battery life!!!

PROs.
battery life
weight
construction
look
the feel of the keys
4 programmable function keys (in fact all of the function keys are customisable but do have preset logos for a general purpose, media email, home, phone and search.
compatible with the PS3

CON (just the 1)
the touch pad isn't perfect, its a lil too small compared to my laptops and it being at the side is strange to get used to, also the scrolling seems far too unresponsive. but don't get me wrong its still good just not perfect when compared to my HP laptop.

I have seen reviews of this keyboard that bemoan it's lack of a numeric keypad and mark it down as a result, but that's missing the point. It's like buying a Ferrari and then complaining that it only has two seats! Anyone who buys this would (should) know it doesn't sport those extra keys, so if having them is a necessity then look elsewhere but don't knock the Edge for not having them. The question is, what is the Edge like as a keyboard and is it worth the high price tag?

Unboxing it, you can't help but be impressed at the solid build quality and simply yet sleek styling. No doubt about it, as every other review on the web has already stated this is one stylish looking piece of kit and when you first see the soft orange symbols light up you'll be thinking "how cool is that!". Having spent all this money on a keyboard I'm really loathed to say this but seeing the Edge's party trick for the first time is the highpoint and from there on in it's really just another keyboard. The keyboard action is pleasant, being halfway between a good laptop and a regular keyboard in terms of feel. The keys require a slightly firmer pressure that my Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Deskop (WED) 7000, but not so much so that typing becomes a chore. Accessing the additional function keys is simply a case of pressing the Fn key and then the relevant function key along the top row. Arguably, having dedicated keys for select functions like email, my documents, my photos, my music, etc. rather than having to press and hold another key first would actually be easier, but then you wouldn't be treated to that little orange light show. As for the dedicated keys that there are to the left and right of the main area, these are nicely laid out and flush wih the plexiglass surface to prevent accidental presses (and ease cleaning - which you'll need to do a lot of to keep this device looking good!). The mouse 'touchpad' is reasonably effective and is a reminder that Logitech are pitchig this device at the Home Theatre/Coffe Table market as much as to those who need the sexiest gadgets, but it's the volume control that's the thing that I use the most and the touch-sensitive slider is a nice idea, although I do find that it sometimes doesn't react to your first 'stroke', but is usually fine once it's woken up.

Eventually it boils down to do I enjoy using the Edge and would I recommend it to a friend? Well to the first it's becoming something of a love/hate relationship. I love the styling, I love the neat little orange lights (not that you see them that often) and I really like the key-press action. I'm not so keen on the ergonomics and in use the keyboard somehow manages to feel a little cramped, although once I got used to it, accuracy never became an issue. It would be nice if there was a visual indication of Caps Lock being on, as all you get is a soft bleep as you activate or de-activate it, which in itself is a nice feature I wish more keyboard makers would use! After the novelty of playing with the touchpad to see that orange circle light up, I went back to using my MX Revolution mouse pretty much all the time, which if you're using this on your main PC rather than in the lounge is probably far more comfortable. So would I recommend it to a friend? Probably not. Despite giving it four stars because it oozes style and is so nicely put together, this is still a mass market item that Logitech are churning out by the lorry load and I think the ticket price is at least 25% over the top. For the money they are currently asking I would like to see the DiNove Edge II with backlit keys, a Caps Lock light and maybe four or five dedicated (single press or touch sensitive) keys for common functions like email, My Documents, etc.

The rest of the Edge experience is just routine really. As with most Logitech products, setup is a relatively straightforward affair - plug it in, install the software (which may look for updates online) and you're good to go and the Edge was no exception, taking about 10 minutes from start to finish. Cleaning it will become a ritual for those who love it's looks and Logitech do include a little soft cloth just for that purpose. I'd also recommend buying one of those compressed air cans - this is because the gaps between the keys are a little wider than on some keyboards (like the WED 7000) so crumbs and bits of fluff are more likely to find their way in. As for battery life, well it's too early to say but most reviews I've seen say this is pretty good. The on-screen display for things like volume are more geared towards Home Theatre with bold graphics across the bottom of the screen that you can't miss if watching on a TV from some distance away.

In closing I have to say that I wanted to like this keyboard a lot but in the end felt ever so slightly let down. If it's style or build quality you're after then it's pretty much top of the heap with the only real competition being Microsoft's two 'WED' offerings. For slightly less money than the Edge you can pick up the WED 7000 which also includes a cordless rechargeable mouse. The WED 8000 adds a few features but currently carries an eye watering price tag, even on Amazon, but if they can get the price of the 8000 down to within £20 or so of the Edge, then I'd go for the Microsoft device. While it's styling may be slightly less Ferrari and slightly more Lexus(?!), it is the more functional of the two devices. Perhaps my disappointment is down to the fact that my Edge is tucked away in the study and if it was in the lounge where I could appreciate it's good looks more often and use it's touchpad out of necessity, then I'd be getting the point =;o)

This is one of the best looking and performing keyboards that you can buy for a media PC but the trackpad was designed by an idiot. It is the only trackpad known that has tap click switched on permanently and hardwired into the keyboard. This means that if you use the touchpad it will randomly drag files and folders round your desktop, ask you if you want to move/delete files etc and on a large screen where you have move your finger off the pad surface (while holding down the button) it will usually decide to dump your file/text halfway from its destination. It will also as I am finding with this review result in repositioning the browser window while you are typing into online forms etc.

To sum up, the keyboard is great but the trackpad has serious design flaws and is next to useless, do not even try playing games with it. You need a good bluetooth mouse to use with this keyboard. Messages from Logitech on their own forums have said that this cannot be fixed by software so there will not be a fix for this problem with this otherwise excellent keyboard. Read the logitech forums before buying this keyboard.